Beef Ambassador

You would be proud to know that I received a 99% on my sales presentation today. What did I sell???? BEEF OF CORSE! I asked about beef recipes but then realized I had a class right before my presentation time so I didn’t have any prep time for a steak. Instead I sold him the convenient beef jerky.

Now for a serious note. I am in Environmental Ethics right now and our assignment last week really opened my eyes to how my peers view the livestock industry. Our question was do you think eating meat is ethical? We should all be proud to know that all fourteen group members said that they believe eating meat is ethical. That means that they do trust our industry to a certain degree. But even though they all believe eating meat is ethical some had some pretty strong opinions about how the animals are raised.

People are confused about the industry

The main comments that disturbed me were “Watching any behind the scenes footage from a cattle ranch or a chicken coop you can see the absolute filth and disgust these animals live in.” “Animals are provided with the bare minimum to survive” and ” I am fine with local farms but I have no tolerance for the industrial farming where the meat is raised and slaughtered in bulk.”

I responded to these statements letting them know that we try to keep our animals in clean environments and keep them healthy and happy to make sure that they are getting the best product possible. I also debunked the fact that animals are provided the bare minimum to survive, we as farmers need our animals to be healthy when they go to harvest otherwise we won’t have enough product to stay a farmer  for very long. I also told them that we hate seeing the footage of animal abuse too, and might get even more upset than they do because they are giving our livelihood a bad name.  No animal should be harmed or made to suffer, as farmers we believe that to be very important. And for the last one, there are huge family owned farms, a lot of our consumers believe that if there is concrete or technology that the farm must be factory owned. But that is not true because we need these new ideas and innovations to be an efficient industry that can produce protein for the world.

I tried to respond to their concerns calmly and even invited them to my farm to show them that we care for our animals. It is our job as beef producers to spread the positive views of animal agriculture and let them know that we do not accept animal abuse in our industry and the people that are caught are being punished and we are ok with that. I want my classmates to say it is ethical to eat meat and not have any doubt in their mind when they go to the meat counter at their grocery store. We need to spread the word that we love our animals and want meat to be as safe as possible for the consumer.

Hey there!

This week I had some big news! My first calf ever was born. I had all of my past experience working with larger calves in my families fedlot. So as you can expect I was very nervous and excited this week waiting for my heifer Xandra’s calf to be born. Because I knew the day my heifer was bred I could estimate about when the calf would come and with 9 months of pregnancy she was due this week. Because I was back at school in South Dakota I was spending quite a bit of time on the phone checking in on how she was doing. The whole time fingers crossed that she would wait until the weekend to have her calf. This brings me to my new series of blogs that I will be writing, Cow calf update. Every week at the end of my blog I will update every0ne on how my cow calf pair is doing.

My uncle TIm and cousin Allison helping out with his first time nursing.

Lets start with week one. This Friday as soon as I got back from school I headed straight to the calving barn to check on things like I usually do. I came just in time. I could see a black heifer laying down on her side when I walked up but couldn’t tell which one it was. The closer I got the more I realized that this heifer was in labor and about to calve. Then her head popped up and I realized it was MY heifer! At this point my nervousness turned into a little bit of a panic. I felt like an expected father rushing to the hospital. I could see little hooves sticking out and that was the sure sign that this calf was coming now! I calmed myself made a few phone calls for advice and waited. I waited half an hour and with no progress called the vet. The vet ended up having to assist with the birth and even I had to lend a hand in my dress clothes (I had just given my speech at school and had not changed). With the assistance of the vet she gave birth to a healthy, very big bull calf. He is now up and running around and nursing well. Xandra (the cow) is mothering well and is nursing and raising him very well so far for a first time mama. Now I’m looking to all of the Beef ambassador blog readers to help me find a name for my little bull calf. Because his ear tag is 1z I was hoping for something starting in Z.

Look to next weeks blog to see how Xandras little calf is doing in Cow calf update #2!

Hello All!

I’m back once again to discuss a brand new topic thats waiting for feedback! Since I was a little kid I’ve had the occasional fast food cheeseburger from the highly popular franchise McDonalds. I’ve wondered as well as many others probably of how they get a burger to taste so good. Many people will tell you the myths of where McDonalds’ burgers come from, but in reality most don’t understand is that our very own American farmers and ranchers work each and everyday to ensure that there is still supply for the well known burger joint.

If you haven’t seen McDonalds newest commericial ads yet, I suggest you click this link and check it out for yourself. I can personally tell you that this is one of the best ads I have seen from McDonalds in a long time and it really tells the story of why their product is so good.  You’ll noticed its not like other ads that McDonalds has produced before in the past, like “Come try our delicious burger, mouth watering juicy flavor… ” Although this tends to drive consumers to the fast food chains, some still are wary of fast food and where their food truly comes from.

Steve Foglesong, a cattle rancher from Vermont, Illinois is one of the many farmers that supplies McDonalds’ with it’s beef. In the commercial he shows consumers his family run cattle ranch and explains the daily life of a beef rancher. Once an abandoned coal mining site, Foglesong’s ranch has now transformed into a 5,000 acre cattle ranch. He currently has a herd of approximately 6,000 cattle and is currently one of the major suppliers for the fast food chain.  He takes pride in what he does each and everyday and makes sure that consumers are consuming a product that he himself would serve to his own family.

So just remember that the next time you’re out of the house and need something quick to eat at the local McDonalds, that burger you’re eating has been cared for and properly handled so that you can enjoy a delicious meal. Farmers and ranchers have a twenty-four hour job that continues to put obstacles in front of them to overcome and they do this all for the thousands of consumers around the nation and in the world. Nothing is more important for a farmer or rancher than knowing that they have produced a safe,wholesome and nutritious product from the labor of their own hands.

With a Cattle Calling,

Arika Snyder

Hey ya’ll,

This week as I started classes once again, I seemed to have a new look on the semester. Instead of being bogged down my multiple papers, test, exams and reading assignments I’ve committed myself to being a better student. In doing so, I have felt more engage and involved with my classes, not because I have to but, because I want to influence others around me with the knowledge I will learn while attending college. Interestingly enough, I decided this semester to take and AG Ethics class. The definition of ethics is a moral norm of an individual or a group and the morality is a person’s beliefs of feelings concerning their values, rules and principles. I know what you’re all thinking right now as you read this: “Arika we all know what ethics are, why are you trying to teach us a lesson in ethics?”  The truth is, ethics is vitally important, especially in the agriculture industry.

My professor decided that we would take part of the class time to discuss any current ethical issues in agriculture. As we all known, one of the most talked about issues is the use of antibiotics on livestock. I personally believe that antibiotics should be used in livestock production because it is essential for the animal’s health as well for the farmer to produce quality product. If you neglect to treat an animal for such illnesses, it can have a negative outcome for the animal as well as the producer.  Many consumers though, believe that it is not ethical to treat animals for diseases via antibiotics due to misconceptions of such drugs.  Antibiotics are also known as antimicrobials that fight bacterial infections. These drugs specifically to the beef industry are to help cattle regain or maintain superior health and produce safe beef.  Antibiotic use should be limited to prevent or control disease and should not be used if the direct intent is to improve performance.  A comment was made by a non-agriculture student in my ethics class that the opposing side would view consuming animals that have taken antibiotics as unhealthy and unsafe to consumers. He believed that animals given antibiotics could be consumed by a consumer, resulting in a harmful effect on the human’s body.

After reading the “good bye” blogs of this past years team it is so hard to get in a mindset of writing something serious and factual! However, this holiday season

A screen shot of the Beef Market Central off of my iPhone

I started thinking about the New Year, and with a new year comes change. Change in perspective, change in our day to day lives, but most of all, the kind of change called progress. I really wanted to comment on progress, particularly technology. Its hard to wrap my head around how much technology influences our lives. We’ve all heard thousands of times how great technology is and how much it can do, but seeing the possibilities with your own eyes changes how you hear those lines. This year my brother, one of the most technologically challenged people that I know, got an iPhone. I personally thought that it was a relationship that would end soon, but he became attached quite quickly and started figuring out all of the features. Within 15 minutes of owning the phone, he had found and downloaded an app called “Beef Market Central”. I personally had never heard of it, but the features on this app are pretty cool! He learned that you can follow the markets of beef in the auction ring, price of beef per pound (broken down by cut), and also you can follow links to articles on critical issues for the beef industry. I was blown away. Someone as opposed to technology as my brother had found such a stockpile of information so quickly. Seeing that really did open my eyes to the endless possibilities of technology and how it can enhance agriculture, particularly my favorite sector, the beef industry. I then started running through what amazing technology is out RIGHT NOW. We’ve all seen a huge surge in technology already with video sales, ultrasound inspections in beef processing plants, and electronics available for the average rancher. For example, a company makes an electronic ear tag for cattle that can store information such as birth date, what vaccinations it received and when, and health history. These tags can be read as a group from a distance with a small scanner, saving time and labor. Feed companies use similar tags as well as videos to monitor the health of their animals constantly, keeping a better eye on them than solely hand checking every yard. This tags can also be used as a personal access key for cattle too, their particular ear tag matches up to a certain feed bunker that opens for them. This allows the feed company to gather more accurate calculations for measuring conversion ratios of cattle and the efficiency of their product. These are only a shallow surface to the amount of technology that the beef industry has at its finger tips. I have always considered myself a really traditional kind of person, and tradition means a lot to me, as I’m sure it does for most ranchers like me. I know that this much technology can seem overwhelming, or like it is taking over the jobs of the average rancher, but being able to feed an ever growing world population is our goal. I just want to send out a line for farmers and ranchers to keep their minds open to the technologies that present themselves. Not all change is bad change.

– Kim Rounds

Happy Holidays to everyone from the National Beef Ambassadors including myself! On December 20^th, I traveled with the rest of the 2012 National Beef Ambassador Team to Wooster, Ohio where we were invited to Certified Angus Beef’s Head Quarters for their annual Building Block Seminar. We were welcomed by their friendly staff and learned so much about Certified Angus Beef.  The Certified Angus Beef brand is an important brand to beef industry.

In order to be considered Certified Angus Beef, beef cattle must pass all ten brand standards to qualify and also be black hided cattle. Certified Angus Beef exceeds USDA Prime, Choice and Select Beef Standards to ensure that you are getting quality beef product. I was so impressed with the Certified Angus Beef brand that I wanted to hear more about the company and learn how different they really are from the USDA selections in the supermarkets. If you are wondering as a consumer here are things to think about the next time you are buying beef at the store and see the Certified Angus Beef brand symbol.  To be considered a selection for Certified Angus Beef, cattle must reach modest or moderate marbling. Marbling is a key component to any choice of cut because it adds to the tenderness, juiciness, and flavor to a steak. The more marbling or fat you have on your steak, the better your chances are that even after cooking your beef at a high temperature that it will still have a tender and juicy taste. Maturity, as well as marbling is also key to the selection of the Certified Angus Beef brand.  “A” maturity are cattle that are harvested younger than 30 months of age, which is the most desired to be Certified Angus Beef. While if you were to select just USDA Prime and Choice cuts they can also include “B” maturity cattle that are 30-42 months of age.  The Certified Angus Beef brand takes pride in knowing that their brand defines a product that is tender, juicy and is packed full of flavor.

YUM! Everyone loves a nice juicy steak! Don’t forget that beef makes a great meal for the holiday parties and dinners you may be having over the next several days! Yea I know, beef on Christmas Day?! Let me remind you that BEEF is one powerful protein and you need fuel and energy this holiday season to spend time with loved ones and play with all those high tech gadgets. Who needs turkey on Christmas day, which tends to make everyone sleepy and tired from all the tryptophan ? Think about buying a nice Prime Rib or Tenderloin this year at the Supermarket and give the gift of protein, iron, and zinc to your family this holiday season. From my family to yours, have a safe, happy and healthy holiday season and Merry Christmas everyone. Let us not forget all the blessed farmers and ranchers in this great nation who contribute their lives each and every day to support us with safe, wholesome, and nutritious food.

Celebrating Beef,

Arika Snyder

On December 5, 2011 an online journal reported that Nebraska’s Attorney General,  Jon Bruning, donoted $100,000 to Nebraska’s We Support Agriculture, a coalition that supports agriculture through coordinated communication, education and advocacy. This is a great step forward to have government officials recognized the need to support agriculture not just as an industry but also a way of life. But this way of life is being threatened and the attorney general is recognizing this. Bruning is quoted saying “In Nebraska, agriculture is more than a resource – it’s a way of life. I’m proud to support efforts to protect the cornerstone of our state economy from the actions of extremist groups like the Humane Society of the United States.” I am happy that government officials are finally starting to see the realization that agriculture needs to be supported and protected.

I would like to encourage everyone to write your government officials and educate them about the agriculture and beef industry and encourage them to stand up to threats against us, but in the meantime, thank you Attorney General Jon Bruning for recognizing a problem and the importance of agriculture.

Today is the last day to post a comment about the recent update to child labor laws concerning children under the age of 18 working in the agriculture industry. With this deadline here I was hoping to get feed back from people and see what they think.

My sister and I on our family's cattle ranch

This law would greatly prohibit children in working in agriculture, something that was exempt to most labor laws until now. This law would not affect children working on family farms or ranches but only children that are employed and/or payed.  This will not allow children to work for neighbors, run any sort of equipment, even from working with breading stock such as bulls, boars or even cow/calf pairs. There are of course some other exemptions, such as children in vocational agricultural programs over the age of 14 and these same children will be able to work on equipment after being trained. But what about the 4-Hers that are eight or nine and just starting their careers as agriculturist or about  the children that are helping thier neighbors or friends and are saving for college or a car?

Personally, I believe growing up in a agriculture environment , whether your parents own a farm or ranch, is an important and is one of the reasons I am where I am today. You learn responsibility, discipline, dedication and have the chance to hone a passion which can turn into a business and a lifestyle. Growing up on a cattle ranch is something I would now fight to have the right to give my children and then their children. It is one of kind, special, a gift it’s not just a childhood but an Agriculture Childhood.

Please tell me what you think, I would love to know!

Hey all!!

So in celebration of World Food Day, I thought I would take some time to talk about some of the troubles that us cattle farmers and ranchers have had this year in doing our best in providing the world with our beef.

As many of you have probably heard, through the news atleast, many droughts and wildfires have been happening down south and out west. Infact, they have been stuck in the worst drought in the past many many years. I do not live in Texas or Oklahoma, so I can’t personally atest to how bad it really has gotten. But I do know, that this weather has forced many ranchers down there to sell large portions of their cow herd. This winter will bring even more problems. Because of the drought, they have been unable to grow the hay or grains needed to feed them, so they had to tap into their storages that would typically be used for winter, just to get them through the summer and fall. Now, that hardly leaves anything for winter for feed. This has really hit alot of farmers hard as many of them have spent years building up their herd. Putting hours into improvements to only have to sell tons of them during a time like this.

In the northeast, where I live, we have had the complete opposite. Rain, rain, and more rain. Fields are flooded, cows are stuck because rivers are too high for them to cross, and damages from wind have knocked down many barns and silos. We too are at a storage for hay and grains because we can’t grow it in soaking wet fields, being almost forced to sell off many of our cow herd just as those in Texas.

Regardless though, I assure you, us farmers and ranchers are doing everything we can to keep all of our cows safe and healthy through these tough times. We appreciate all of you who do support the beef industry, and despite all of the hardships, we do look forward to getting up each and every day to tend to our animals. We farm because we loves animals, and love being able to feed not only our family, but yours too.

-Kristen Stufft (with beef!)

Welcome to week #6 of MythBusters Maddy style!

Grain fed vs Grass fed

Grain-fed beef is the most widely produced type of beef in the United States. Grain-fed cattle spend most of their lives eating grass in pastures, and then move on to a feedlot where they eat a high-energy grain diet for three to six months. Research shows most Americans generally prefer the taste of grain-fed beef because of its tenderness and flavor-enhancing marbling.

All cattle spend the majority of their lives eating grass in pastures. However, grass-finished beef (sometimes labeled as grass-fed beef) comes from cattle that have been raised on pasture their entire lives. Grass-finished beef is often described as having a distinctly different taste.

**I found these definitions at www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com.

Basically, if you want to see a break down of all the different types of Beef I’ve been talking about for the last few weeks visit: http://www.explorebeef.org/CMDocs/ExploreBeef/Choices%20of%20Beef_Final.pdf                                                                                        It shows Grain finished, Grass finished, Naturally raised and Certified organic. Check out the differences yourself!

If you have something to add feel free to leave your comments!

Tune in next week for more definitions and myths!

¡Carne de res, que buena es!